Southern Graves

An "epitaph," a Greek word literally meaning on the gravestone , is a short text honoring a deceased person. I've seen many beautiful ones, some of which I will begin to share with you. I believe the epitaphs found on gravestones are also somewhat regional. This, of course, does not always apply. An in-depth study of epitaphs is another post. *Sigh* -- please forgive my ramble. :-) I would like to share a particularly beautiful epitaph from Sardis Cemetery . It can be found on the tombstone for Mr. J. A. Hammock: A precious one from us has gone, A voice we loved is stilled; A place is vacant in our home, Which never can be filled. God in His wisdom has recalled The boon His love has given And though the body slumbers here, The soul is safe in Heaven. I have seen the first portion many times in the cemeteries I have visited, but the second portion is not as common. It is quite beautiful, I think. Southern Graves Home

The posting of Sardis Cemetery has begun! I want to emphasize begun because I estimate there to be over 300 burials, and it will take some time for me to get them all online. Sardis Cemetery is located on Sardis Church Road in Bibb County, Georgia. You may view it here . You may also link to it from Southern Graves and the Bibb County, GA American History & Genealogy Project . On a side note, Southern Graves is now easier to find! Simply type www.southerngraves.net into your web browser. No more long, weird address. :-) Please be patient, though. Some of the links will need to be repaired and updated. Of course, the old address of southerngraves.i-found-it.net will continue to work until everything is transferred and in proper working order. Hope to see you soon at whichever address you choose to visit!

" Bartlett Cemeteries Designated as Landmarks Dedications Part of Effort to Preserve Historical Integrity By Clay Bailey, Memphis Commercial Appeal Bartlett dedicated two cemeteries as its latest historical landmarks this week. Markers were unveiled at the Bartlett-Ellendale Cemetery and Fullview Cemetery next to Fullview Missionary Baptist Church near Memphis-Arlington Road and Oak Road." READ MORE Southern Graves Home

My nickname in high school was "squirrel," but it turns out I am really a rabbit. A Graveyard Rabbit, that is. If you haven't noticed the new statement in the heading, I am a charter member of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits . This group was founded by Terry Thornton, and he writes all about the name at his new The Graveyard Rabbit of the Hill Country blog. The short of it is the name came from a poem entitled The Graveyard Rabbit by Frank Lebby Stanton. My favorite lines of the poem are in the very beginning. In the white moonlight, where the willow waves, He halfway gallops among the graves -- A tiny ghost in the gloom and gleam, Content to dwell where the dead men dream... This definitely describes my passion for cemeteries and the histories they share. Let's break it down: "In the white moonlight, where the willow waves" I don't visit cemeteries at night too much, only because it's hard to read the stones and take pictures then! How

Mark Berman at the Washington Post wrote a nice article about a tribute paid to fourteen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. " Arlington National Cemetery: Honoring Fallen 14 with 'Quiet Strength' Four Black Hawk helicopters skimmed overhead against the backdrop of a gray, cloudy sky. Below, more than 150 people brought together by tragedy and united in grief gathered yesterday to pay tribute to 14 soldiers honored at Arlington National Cemetery..." The soldiers were killed August 2007 in Iraq. They were between the ages of 20 and 30 and represented 11 states. I am proud of all these soldiers, I thank them for their service and sacrifice, and I pray for all their families. For the purpose of this blog, I will point out the soldiers that represent the southern states. - Capt. Corry P. Tyler, age 29, of Woodbine, GA; - Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, age 28, of Whitsett, NC; - Spec. Tyler R. Seideman, age 20, of Lincoln, Ark.; - Spec. Rickey L. Bell, age

The Historical Marker Database site recently uploaded a page for the First Baptist Church and Village Cemetery in Edgefield County, South Carolina. This cemetery is the burial place of three SC Governors: F. W. Pickens (1807-1869), J. C. Sheppard (1850-1931), and John G. Evans (1863-1942). The page has lots of information and photos. Southern Graves Home

The Widow of the South , a best-selling novel by Robert Hicks, is about the Civil War Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, a plantation house used as a field hospital, and the woman who buried the Confederate dead. Carnton Historic Plantation's website well describes the battle and how the cemetery came about. McGavock Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place for nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers, as well as the largest privately owned military cemetery in the nation.

"The Coker Cemetery was established in 1857 from part of John Coker’s Land Grant of 1836. John received land bounties for fighting at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. John Coker never married and invited his brother Joseph to join him. This cemetery is governed by the Coker Cemetery Association, which is a non-profit corporation chartered under State of Texas Laws. No space in the cemetery has or can be sold and is reserved solely for the descendants of the Coker Family and early church leaders. While adjoining the land of the Coker Methodist Church, the Coker Cemetery today is a separate organization. The first burials could have been around 1854. There are more than twenty unmarked graves, most of which cannot be identified. All of the Coker surname burials are direct descendants of Joseph Coker and Malinda Brown who were originally from Laurens Co. SC. Malinda died 1853 in Cherokee Co TX and is buried there in the Jacksonville Cemetery. Many other surnames are also Coker desc

" Genealogy: Tennessee death records are available online By Tamie Dehler Special to the Tribune-Star Death records for the state of Tennessee are available online in three separate indexes. Tennessee began recording death records in 1908. For the first few years, recording was erratic. The Tennessee State Archives and Library features a searchable index to their death records for 1908-1912 at www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/vital/death2.htm . This index contains almost 98,000 listings. The search results give the decedent's name, year of death, county of death, and certificate number. This information can be used to order the complete death record." Read More Tennessee Death Records Online Southern Graves Home

So sad. " Unmarked cemetery in Falmouth is paved over by new property owner By Jonas Beals Rumor has it that sometime between 1900 and 1909, Charles W. Roberson was struck by lightning and killed in the backyard of his Falmouth home. He was buried alongside his wife, Mary, in that backyard. As far as anyone can tell, they are still there, now covered by a few inches of blacktop. The parcel at the northeast corner of U.S. 1 and Forbes Street was purchased by Access Eye Centers in 2002. The company owns the adjacent property, and expanded its parking lot more than a year ago. In the process, it inadvertently covered the 16- by 32-foot unmarked cemetery parcel that had been carved out of the Robersons' lot." READ MORE Southern Graves Home

I do not live near this area and have never been to any of these cemeteries. This is a good article about their local, historical cemeteries. " Jackson County [Missouri] Cemeteries are Rich in History and Lore By Sheila Davis The Examiner Jackson County — For whatever reason, we just don’t seem to give our loved ones the kind of burials that our ancestors did. A spare slab with an even sparer inscription says, “Yes, I love you dear. I’ll be back on Memorial Day.” But some of the grand old markers and monuments make total strangers stop and wonder, “Hey, who is this person? What’s their story?” Here, with advice from John Mark Lambertson, director of the National Frontier Trails Museum, and Gary Toms, reference assistant at the Midwest Genealogy Center, are The Examiner ’s Top 10 best Jackson County cemeteries to visit to appreciate the art of the tombstone as well as some local history." READ MORE Southern Graves Home

Very cool idea. " Forest Cemetery Leaves a Living Legacy By Gregg MacDonald Loudoun Times Mirror When Middleburg resident Rick Dawson was asked by Centreville business owner Jack Lowe to turn part of a Methodist adventure camp into a forest cemetery where trees serve as living memorials, he thought he was going crazy." READ MORE